Rim for mounting pneumatic tires.



Patented Dec. 9, 1913' E. P. DREGER 6: F. E. PPISTER. RIM FOR MOUNTINGPNEUMATIC TIRES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2. 1Q]

man STATES PATENT onrron.

EDWARD IEREDIElIEtIl'JK DREG'ER, OF OAKLAND, AND FRANK PIEDMONT,CALIFORNIA.

ELVIN' PFISTER, or

RIM FOR MOUNTING PNEUMATIC TIRES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Application filed March 2, 1912. Serial No. 681,053.

rality of independently inflatable tube sections therein; and the objectof the inventio is the production of a rim with suitable apertures inthe sides thereof through which the inflatable tube sections areinserted within or withdrawn from the interior 'of the outer casing, therim also being provided with a circumferentally arranged borecommunicating with each of the tube sections through valved controlledbores or tubes carried by plates adapted to be inserted within theapertures and close the outer end of the tube, the constructionproviding a common inflating means for all the tubes and at the sametime providing against the deflation of the entire tire on a punctureextending within the wall are enlarged as at of one of the tubesections.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanyingsheet of drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional 'view ofa tire of our improved construction mounted on the supporting rimtherefor, disclosing the enlarged annular head on the side of the rim,an inflating station for the tube sections, and a plurality of stationsfor p the insertion and withdrawal of the tube sections. Fig. 2 is atransverse'sectlo-nal view of the inflating station, disclosing'thevalve controlled inflating tube, the valve controlled tube extendingwithin the inflatable. from the inflat-' the connection ing tube to thecircumferentially arranged bore in the rim, and the manner of securingthe inflatable tube section within the rim. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view of one of the tube inserting and withdrawal stations, theconstruction thereof being the same as the inflating station with theinflating tube removed. 4: is a perspective tube section,

Flg. view of one of the spreader sections.

connect with an annu ar duct In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates asuitable wheel felly of the usual construction provided on its outersurface with an annular metallic rim, divided longitudinally into twosections 2 and 3, each section being provided at its outer edge with theusual upwardly curved inwardly projecting flange 4, for engaging theperipheral beads 5 arranged at each edge of the outer casing 6. Thesections 2 and 3 of the metallic rim are detachably secured on the felly1 by transversely extending bolts 7, the beads of which are countersunkin the outer face of the rim section 2 and the threaded ends thereofadapted to extend through a suitable lug 8 arranged adjacent the fellyon the opposite side thereof from the rim section 2, the lug projectingabove the felly and adapted to'be clamped against the rim section 3 bythe nut 9 of the bolt. The rim section 2 is formed below the flange 4thereof with a suitable annularly extending enlarged bead portion 9'semicircular in cross section and provided with a flat inner face 10which lies against the side of the felly 1. The enlarged bead 9' isprovided at spaced intervals with suitable downwardly inclinedcylindrical cut outportions or bores 11, the upper ends thereofcommunicating with the interior of the outer casing or tube 6, and theouter ends of which 12, forming a seat or flange 13 between the largerand smaller portions of the bore. Communicating with each ofthe-enlarged portions 12 of the bores 11 through the seat of the flange13, are suitable passages 1 t e inner ends of which or channel 15arranged circumferentially around the interior of the rim section 2adjacent the flat inner face 10 thereof.

Each inflatable section of the tire comprises a rubber bulb or tubesection 16, one of which is adapted to be inserted into the outer casingthrough each of the cylindrical bores 11, the open end of the tube beingformed with an annular flange 17 adapted when inserted into the bore 11to rest on the seat 13 and said flange being provided with a smallopening 18'adapted to register with the duct 14. A- cylindrical disk 19of a size of the enlarged bore 12 is placed over the open end of theinflatable tube sect-ion 16, closing the same, and rests against theannular flange 17 thereof. The disk is provided with an open ended tube20 projecting 110 from the inner face thereof a short distance into theinflatable tube section and the other end communicates through achannel'21 in the disk 19 with the annular duct or channel 15 arrangedin the rim. The end of the tube 20 projecting within the inflatable tubesec tion 16 is provided with any suitable inwardly opening valve, theone disclosed in the drawings being merely for illustration, andconsists of a ball 22 confined within an enlarged spherical head 23.

From the above construction it will be observed that each of theinflatable tube sections are in communication with the annular duct 15for receiving air therefrom, but the valve in the tube 20 closes as theair contained in the inflatable sections attempts to escape therefrominto the duct 15.

The disks 19 are held within the enlarged bore 12 by a suitable cap 24provided with an annular flange 25, the external edge of which isscrew-threaded and said threads are adapted to engage correspondingthreads on the interior of the enlarged bore 12, and as the cap istightly screwed into the bore the inner edge of the flange 25 will pressagainst the disk 19 and clamp the same and the annular flange 17 of theinflatable tube section against each other to prevent the escape of theair confined in the inflatable tube section to the atmosphere.

The air to inflate the several inflatable members is forced into thetire by any suit able pump through an inflating station, disclosed morefully in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The inflating station is similar inconstruction to the other stations except a suitable valve controlledfilling stem 26 is provided on the disk 19, said stem 26 extending fromthe disk 19 in an opposite direction to tube 20, and is in communicationwith the tube 20 and channel 21 at the junction thereof. The cap 24which closes the filling station is provided with a suitable opening inthe outer surface thereof through which the inflating tube projects, theend of the inflating tube being provided with a suitable dust cap 27.

The outer casing is provided between each of the tube sections 16 with asuitable Spreader 28 provided with grooved ends 29 and which extendstransversely of the rim sections 2 and 3 engaging the lower inner edgeof the outer casing, forcing the beads thereof into engagement with theengaging flanges a.

Inasmuch as each of the inflatable sections is in communication with theothers through the annular duct- 15, it is only required that the airpump be connected to the inflating stem 26, for as air is forcedtherethrough under pressure the same will flow into each of theinflatable sections and passing through the tube 20 thereof willsuccessively unseat the ball valves 22 and enaca emtering the inflatablesection will inflate the same to completely fill the outer casing untilthe back pressure therein is suflicient to seat the valve 22 controllingthe admission of air into the inflatable sections, the overflow from onesection flowing into the other section.

In the present device the series of simultaneously inflatable sectionsmay be inflated at a single operation, the air pump being connected tothe inflating stern for this purpose. Tn case of a puncture of any oneof the inflatable sections, the same may be quickly removed from withinthe outer casing by unscrewing the cap 2 1- therefor and withdrawing thedeflated section, and a new one inserted within the outer casing throughthe bore 11, after which the tube is inflated in the manner described,any excess air pressure finding its way into such of the in flatedsections of the series as may require the restoring of lost air.

The caps 24 are provided on their outer faces with suitable squaredprojections 30 which facilitate in removing or applying the same to theopenings.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto protect by Letters Patent is l ln combination with an outer casinghaving a series of simultaneously inflatable tube sections therein, of arim for mounting the same, said rim being divided longitudinally intosections, means for clamping said sections together, one of said rimsection's being provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposedopenings communicating with the interior of said outer casing for theinsertion of the tube sections therein, a valve controlled closure foreach of said tube sections, said rim section being further provided withan annular bore therein communicating with each of said valve controlledclosures, an inflating valve common to all of said inflatable tubesections, and means for retaining said valve controlled closures in saidtube sections.

2. lln combination with an outer casing having a series ofsimultaneously inflatable circumferentially disposed inflatable tubesections therein, of a rim for mounting the same, said rim beingprovided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed openings thereincommunicating with the interior of said outer casing for the insertionof the tube sections therein, said rim being further provided with anannular bore arranged circumferentially thereof and communicating witheach of said openings, a disk adapted to be seated in each of saidopenings and close the open end of said tubes, a valve controlledchannel in said disk and communicating with said annular bore and saidinflatable tube sections, an inflating valve extended from one of saiddisks and communicating with each of said circumferentially disposedopenings therein communicating with the interior. of said outer casingfor the insertion of said tube sections therein, one of said tubes beingseated within each of said openings and capable of withdrawal from saidouter casing through said openings, a valve contain-. ing closure foreach of said tube sections, said closure seating said tube sectionswithin said openings, said rim being further provided with acommunicating duct between each of said valve controlled closures and aninflating valve common to all of said inflatable tube sections.

4. In combination with an outer casing having a series of simultaneouslyinflatable circumferentially disposed tube sections therein, of a rim.for mounting the same, said rim being provided with a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed openings therein communicating with theinterior of said casing for the insertion of said tube sections therein,said rim being provided with an annular bore arranged circumferentiallytherein, said bore communicating with each of said openings, a diskadapted to close the openend of each of said tubes and retain the samein said openings, an inwardly opening valved channel formed in said diskand comlnunicating with said tube and said annular bore, a capforsecurely clamping said disk in said opening and providing a closurefor the outer end of said opening, and an inflating valve common to allof said inflatable tube sections.

5. In combination with an outer casing having a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed simultanecusly inflatable tube sectionstherein, of a rim for mounting the same, an enlarged annular head on oneside of said rim, said rim being provided with a plurality of downwardlyinclined circumferentially disposed cylindrical openings extendingthrough said enlarged annular bead and communicating with the interiorof said casing for the insertion of said tube sections therein, saidopenings being enlarged adjacent their outer ends to form annularshoulders, said rim being further provided with an annular bore arrangedcircumferentially thereof and communicating with each of said openingsat the shoulders thereof, disks adapted to close the outer end of saidtubes and seat the edges of said tubes against said shoulders, a valvedchannel in said disks and communicating with said tube and said annularbore, a cap for inserting into the outer end of'said openings, said capadapted to clamp said disk to said tube and provide a closure for theouter end of said openings, and an inflating valve projecting outwardlyfrom one of said valved channels and extending through a suitableaperture in one of said caps, said valve being common to all of saidinflatable tubes.

6. A rim for the mounting of an outer casing, having a series ofsimultaneously inflatable tube sections therein, said rim being dividedlongitudinally into sections, means for clampmg said sections together,one of said sections being provided with a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed openings therein for the insertion ofinflatable tube sections, said rim section being further provided withan annular bore arranged circumferentially thereof and communicatingwith each of the said insertion openings, an established communicationfrom said bore with the interior of each of said inflatable tubesections, and means for closing said insertion openings.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of a ,two subscribing witnesses,

EDWARD FREDERICK DREGER. FRANK ELVIN PFISTER. Witnesses:

H. F. To'rrEN, D. B. RICHARDS.

